An Employee is defined as anyone who renders services to The Seattle School and is paid hourly, or according to an established salary, and who is not otherwise an independent contractor. All employees are employed at-will, regardless of their assigned employment category, unless they have a written contract signed by the President stating otherwise.
Non-Exempt Employees are paid an hourly wage and are expected to keep an accurate record of their time worked. Time worked is all the time actually spent on the job performing assigned duties, including work performed in the office, at home, or away from the campus on school business. Hours worked in excess of 40 hours per workweek must be compensated at 1.5 times their hourly wage. Daily overtime is only paid for employees working in states that require it. Hours worked in excess of regularly scheduled hours and/or hours over 40 per workweek must be authorized in advance by the employee’s supervisor.
Exempt Employees are typically salaried employees whose compensation is based on a flat amount each pay period. They are exempt from overtime pay and hourly time tracking, with the exception of submitting exception reports for vacation and sick days used (which must be submitted in full or half day increments, not hours). Positions in this category must fit plainly and unmistakably within the exemptions provided by state and federal law.
Management are those employees who regularly exercise independent judgment and discretionary power, including budgetary discretion, and may supervise two or more employees.
Staff are those employees whose primary duties support the operation of the institution and also support those who teach classes. They are not hired based upon contracts though they may receive a written offer at time of hire.
Instructional Team are typically salaried, professional teachers/professors, with compensation based on agreed upon contracts. All instructional team members must comply with policies contained in the Employee Handbook. Faculty are also required to comply with policies within the Faculty Handbook.
Both employee types below are continuing in nature, thus do not have a designated end date (although at-will employment still applies in Washington state).
Regular Full-Time Employees are regularly scheduled to work 30 or more hours per week.
Regular Part-Time Employees are regularly scheduled to work less than 30 hours per week.
There are three categories of Non-Continuing Employees:
Temporary Employees are hired on a short-term basis to fill a temporary vacancy or to complete a special project. Temporary employees are typically part-time, and are not entitled to any benefits, unless otherwise provided by law. Temporary employment typically does not exceed three consecutive months. Extensions must be approved by the departmental executive and Human Resources and a change in status from temporary to regular full- or part-time is not effective until communicated in writing by Human Resources.
Student Employees including those eligible for work-study funds, are by definition considered temporary, non-continuing employees, and are thus, not eligible for benefits other than those mandated by city, state, or federal regulatory agencies. Students typically work under 20 hours per week but cannot exceed 29 hours per week. Per immigration law, international student employees cannot work more than 20 hours per week when school is in session.
Contracted Instructional Staff include, but are not limited to, Adjunct Faculty, Affiliate Faculty, Listening Lab Leaders, and Instructional Assistants.